Clementine & Lemon Cake: A Zesty Delight

Clementine & Lemon Cake: A Zesty Delight

This vibrant citrus cake is moist, fragrant, and bursting with sunshine! It's super simple to make and perfect for an afternoon tea, a special dessert, or just a little pick-me-up. The best part? We're using the whole fruit for maximum flavour.

What You'll Need

Ingredients:

• 4 Clementines (or similar small oranges)
• 1 large unwaxed lemon
• 1\frac{1}{2} cups self-raising flour
• 1 cup caster sugar
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 4 medium eggs
• \frac{1}{2} cup milk
• 8 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

Equipment:

• Large saucepan
• Blender or stick blender
• Large mixing bowls
• Sieve
• Large baking dish (approximately 9x13 inches or equivalent)

Let's Get Baking!

1. Prep Your Oven & Citrus: Get your oven ready by preheating it to 180°C (160°C fan/350°F). While that's heating up, bring a pan of water to a boil. Gently drop in the whole Clementines and lemon, then reduce the heat and let them simmer for about 10 minutes. This softens the fruit and really brings out their flavour.

2. Whisk Up the Wet Ingredients (Part 1): While your citrus is cooling a bit, crack the eggs into a jug. Add the milk and 2 tablespoons of the melted butter. Give it a good whisk until everything's combined.

3. Blend the Citrus Magic: Once the Clementines and lemon are cool enough to handle, cut them into quarters. Pop them into your blender (or a large container if you're using a stick blender) and blend until it's completely smooth. Yes, that includes the skins – they're packed with flavour! Just make sure to remove any hard bits, like pips.

4. Combine All the Wet Goodness: Pour that lovely blended citrus mixture into a large bowl. Stir in another 4 tablespoons of the melted butter with a spatula or whisk until it's all one cohesive mix. Now, add the egg and milk mixture from Step 2 and mix thoroughly again.

5. Add the Dry Elements: To your wet mixture, add the caster sugar and stir it in well. Then, sieve in the self-raising flour and baking powder. This helps keep your cake light and airy!

6. Bake to Golden Perfection: Mix all the ingredients together until they're just combined – be careful not to overmix! Pour the batter into your prepared large baking dish and bake for 45 minutes. You'll know it's ready when a skewer inserted into the center comes out clean.

And there you have it! A wonderfully zesty Clementine and Lemon Cake. It's a true crowd-pleaser and so satisfying to bake. Give it a try and let me know what you think in the comments below!